The Connection (Revamped)
by xisanamii
Summary: While smiling is not her strong suit, Lien is quite capable of expressing joy in other ways, especially when she receives the number of her school's idol, Arthur Kirkland. Now it should be a breeze to befriend her lasting crush... but wait. Calling someone shouldn't be so complicated, so why is the Arthur she called not the Arthur she knows? (Human!AU)
1. Chapter 1

ayyyyyy. it's been like four years~ due to the request of noritamazaki, i've decided to pick up a couple of my engnam stories from my old accounts. this is one of them~ if you're still here from so long ago? don't worry, the content will still be the same. i've just rewritten it so that it matches more of my current writing style, and adding a little extra flair so that it's hopefully more engaging~

if you're new? then welcome! i'm absolute engnam trash and that isn't going to change. of course, i have no idea what's been going on in the hetalia fandom... i have read the webcomics and i still remember some of them, but i reread some of my old one-shots to get a feel for the characters again ahah. all i know is that vietnam still hasn't appeared in the anime? so... even if i'm not too into hetalia, i will still wait for that day to come...

reminder that this fic idea is based off of cellphones by fliers. they have given me permission all those years ago~ i still have the PMs from them, weirdly enough. anyway!

disclaimer; i'll never own hetalia!

* * *

Chapter One

Lien gets a phone number, but not in the way one might expect for her to get one.

* * *

There's an explicit feeling of awe that pierces her perpetual visage of apathy, with golden hues widening to the size of round dinner plates as she registers the peculiarity of this occurrence. Even after minutes had passed, she still rubs her eyes and blinks rapidly, as if the numbers before her were an illusion and they would disappear at any given moment.

"... Impossible..." Her voice escapes in a mutter, as her gaze scans over the eleven digits, taking them in and memorizing them in case they vanished from the screen. "This is... his number? This is... reality?"

Lien Nguyen, a third year at Gakuen High, has just obtained a school idol's number.

Ah, but before anyone assumes anything, don't jump to conclusions just yet: she did not actually 'obtain' it, rather, she has... discovered it, so to speak. Obtaining would mean that she had somehow mustered the courage to ask Arthur Kirkland, whose British accent made many more girls than Lien swoon, for his cell phone number.

And anyone who knew Lien? Well, they would know that despite her courageous outlook on life, she is actually... quite the shy person. Of course, this doesn't necessarily dominate the greater parts of her personality. But when it comes to her appearance and the person she admires, losing a bit of courage can only be a natural reaction.

"Gross, Lien, you're telling these compliments to the wrong person."

Just a day prior to this grand discovery, Elizaveta had pinched her friend's cheek, ultimately snapping the Vietnamese girl from her daydream.

"... Was I talking to myself again?" Lien asked, rubbing her cheek absentmindedly.

"Well, not necessarily." Natalia cut in with an unamused stare, prodding the other's shoulder. "Technically, we're still here. You know, your two best friends that you just totally ignored in order to daydream about Arth-"

"Ssh!" Lien reached out and pressed a hand against the other's mouth, much to the Belorussian's displeasure. Golden hues looked around in case there was someone in earshot of their conversation. "You're... too loud!"

"She wasn't wrong though," Elizaveta pointed out, grinning as Natalian pried Lien's hand off of her mouth. "If all you're gonna do is compliment him, you might as well confess."

Immediately, Lien choked on her own intake of breath. "W-who said anything about liking-"

"You just did." Both European girls said synchronously, matching smirks tilted upon their lips.

The Vietnamese girl blushed at the pit she had dug for herself, a hand covering her mouth in frustration. They either knew her too well or she was practically an open book. She desperately hoped it was the former, because she couldn't handle the thought of anyone else besides her two closest friends knowing about her... infatuation.

Infatuation? Love? She didn't exactly know what it was, but the way her heart fluttered whenever she caught sight of the other was most certainly not normal.

"I can't just go and confess like that," she muttered. "He's busy and he has a lot of fans already. I'm just a fan."

That's right. She couldn't cross that border. Lien was content with admiring him from afar. She didn't even have a good reason for liking him, right? So how dare she have the audacity to even think about confessing to him?

"For someone that's in advanced classes, you can be pretty dumb." Natalia's statement was blunt and curt, causing Lien to slightly wince at the other's brute honesty. Her intentions were good, Lien knew that, but sometimes she couldn't help but wonder how exactly she had become friends with the other in the first place.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way..." Elizaveta trailed off, contradicting her pacifying words. "But yeah. She's right. For someone who can be so headstrong, you can also be pretty dense, Lien."

She frowned at that. "... Dense? I am not dense."

"Then empty-minded."

"Do you want me to pull out my grades? I can be cruel when I want to be."

"... Got it."

There was a short pause, before the three girls released a series of short laughter. It was only because of their close friendship that they could tease each other freely like this, after all. Lien didn't think she could find another friend with whom she could converse with so lightheartedly.

Of course, these kinds of friendships also didn't spare feelings when it came to love... which was exactly why the devious glint returned to the Hungarian's eyes.

"You should get his number."

"Let me just stop you right there. No." Lien's response was prompt and she shook her head, frowning lightly.

"Don't be so stubborn. We want to help you get the man of your dreams," Natalia retorted.

"... He doesn't appear in my dreams that much."

Natalia flicked the other's forehead. "Not my point."

Lien merely huffed stubbornly, rubbing her forehead but deciding to not counter the small attack. Natalia could be quite brutal when she wanted to be, after all, and Lien didn't feel like a play-fight would benefit her situation right now.

"How am I supposed to get his number anyway?" Lien decided to bring the topic back to light, although failed to realize that this was exactly what her friends wanted her to do. It meant she was expressing interest, after all, no matter how impossible it appeared to be.

"Ask his friends." Elizaveta had stated that so simply it was like they were trying to decide what to eat for lunch.

"... You're joking," Lien replied after another pause, giving the Hungarian a skeptical look. The hard stare she received told the Vietnamese that the other was entirely serious in her declaration. "With what reason would I have to even talk to his friend? I hardly know them. I don't think they know me."

"True. She's like that lowkey genius that everyone knows is a genius but chooses not to bother because they think they're inferior."

"That's not very lowkey, in that case."

"I'm not a genius."

"Modest too~ what did we ever do to deserve you? Arthur is really missing out-"

"Ssh! You're always too loud!"

After a few minutes of trying to cover each other's mouths, perhaps a few disgusting tongue licks to remove said hands here and there, the three girls were finally back to what they were discussing in the first place (much to Lien's chagrin). The dark-haired girl sighed and rubbed her forehead, realizing that the conversation wouldn't end unless she relented.

It was the last thing she wanted to do, of course, but they were all equally stubborn. That was quite possibly the only disadvantage to the trio they had.

"Fine. I'll try, but don't expect results." It wasn't that she wasn't confident, of course; having a strong personality meant that she wasn't one who would back down easily, especially from a challenge. But going about it in a mature logic was definitely the true Vietnamese way! Logically speaking, the chances of her getting a phone number were zero to none.

But if she didn't try, then they would most certainly hold this over her head. For the sake of pride... and perhaps the slim chance of forming a new bond, she'd just have to approach someone who was practically a stranger.

Unfortunately, that meant she had to plan out the conversation she was going to have with one of Arthur's friends. As a result, she had spent the night mulling over the right words to say. It was the first time she had overslept ever since she started school, and while she still had a good half hour until the gates were closed, she had thrown her uniform on in a hurry and sprinted until she was stopped at a light.

"Are you late?"

A voice, tinged with the flow of time, sounded out next to her. Lien spared a glance at the elder and decided to give her a respectful bow of the head.

"No, I'm just in a hurry." Then she tilted her head. "Well, maybe it's both. I might be late, so that's why I'm hurrying."

The elderly woman laughed, shaking her head. "You youngsters are always in a hurry, aren't you? You should learn to take your time with life."

Lien blinked, certainly not expecting to receive a small lecture about the way she should be living life. "Ah? What do you mean by that?" Indulging the elder's words was the only thing she could have done, especially since the light was taking too long to turn red.

"You young teenagers only care about what's on social media. Cell phones, popularity, money, fame..." She continued to prattle, although she didn't seem to be doing so with ill intentions. "What a strange generation."

Lien stayed silent, her gaze focused on the light that seemed to refuse to change. "I think... that you shouldn't judge everyone based on what you see on television, ma'am." The Vietnamese glanced at the other. "Media always exaggerates things, right? I assure you, there are plenty of good people in the world. Not all teenagers are as horrible as you seem to think they are."

The elder woman chuckled at that. "Oh? Your view of the world isn't very broad, huh?" Lien frowned lightly, but refrained from protesting. "Tell me, what do you want right now?"

Would it be money? Clothes? Good grades?

"A phone number."

"... A phone number?"

That certainly was not the answer the elder expected. Proof of that was the surprise that crinkled upon her weathered face, although her echo was more so out of curiosity, instead of disapproval.

"Is it weird?" Lien responded, lightly scratching her cheek. Her cheeks were flushed with the faintest of red as she continued speaking. "But if I could have his phone number... the person I've come to admire, perhaps I may be able to converse more easily with him." Why was she telling all of this to a stranger? Lien figured she must have lost any semblance of self-consciousness when Elizaveta put the idea of talking to Arthur's friends in her mind.

"So... you want to form a connection with him?" The elder mused, smiling fondly at the youth. The area was eerily quiet, Lien noticed, as she shuffled on her feet.

"Yes, I'd love to be with him." Her response was prompt and Lien embarrassed herself with how direct she was being.

"Then, just keep on believing. Don't waver. Who knows when that desire of yours will come true one day." Finally, the light changed to the standard human walking symbol, and Lien blinked as if she had just come out of a trance. The blares of car horns and traffic rang in her ears; it was too loud now.

Hadn't it been so quiet that one could hear a pin drop earlier?

Lien looked around for the elderly woman, not catching her in her sights. Maybe she had already blended in with the crowd.

 **XxxxXxxxXxx**

"I still find it horribly amusing that you confessed your love about Arthur to a stranger, and yet you still can't muster the guts to ask his friends for his phone number."

"Ahem. I did not confess my love. I merely told her I had a desire to form a connection with him."

"Same difference." Elizaveta waved it off, while Lien merely sighed and rubbed her head.

"Why do I even bother? So stubborn."

"The same could be said for you," Natalia pointed out. She leaned against the lockers, inclining her head towards the end of the hallway. "In any case, Elizaveta, if you're going to force her to ask, now would be the optimal time. Lukas and Alfred are leaving class now."

A glint appeared in the Hungarian's eyes. One that Lien was far too acquainted with to dismiss so easily.

"Wait... don't you-"

"Sorry Lien~ all you need is a little _push_!"

She did not think she meant that literally. And yet, the shorter woman was immediately shoved once the two aforementioned friends were a few feet away. Fortunately, because the Norwegian teenager was taller and built more sturdier than the Vietnamese woman, neither of them fell to the ground. Lien stumbled and a hand was placed on her shoulder to steady herself.

"Th-thank you. And I'm sorry about that, my friend tends to get violent unnecessarily-" Lien fumbled her words, wondering if this was a bad first impression she was given to Arthur's friend. She looked behind her, but Elizaveta and Natalia were nowhere in sight. Wonderful. Now she just seemed desperate.

"No problem," was Lukas' short reply. Lien flinched at that; despite his reassurance, his words felt cold. Maybe he was actually mad, and he would rant about it to Arthur later-?

"Lucky~ I want a cute girl running into me~" Alfred's whine was heard off to the side and Lien blushed at the unexpected compliment. When it came to her appearance, Lien didn't fare too well with compliments.

"Shut up," Lukas droned out. "You're too loud."

"And you're mean!"

Lien restrained a laugh and cleared her throat, gathering the attention of the two men. "I, uh, wanted to ask you two something actually. Not that I ran into you on purpose! I would've approached you normally." If she had the guts, she would've managed a sheepish laugh, but Lien was not the best in expressing a smile of any kind.

"What do you need?" Lukas asked, his emotionless amethyst hues focused on the other.

"Arthur's phone number." Her reply was blunt and straightforward. In the aftermath, she felt quite embarrassed, feeling the back of her neck sweating already. But, well, she was brave when she wanted to be.

"Wow~ so honest!" Alfred laughed. He nudged Lukas' side, who frowned and elbowed the American in his side.

"I'm sorry, but we can't do that." Ignoring the pained wheeze that escaped the blond teenager next to him, Lukas decided to elaborate so that he could move onto the next class. "That is not my call nor is it Alfred's. If you want his number, asking him yourself would be the best choice."

Alfred whistled. "Every girl's stopping us just to ask for his number, huh? Even if I love annoying him, I can't give you his number either. Then we'd have to give it to the fifty other girls who's asked, and god knows he'd be getting phone calls every hour. I want girls asking for my number too~"

"He's not hard to talk to." Lukas ignored the laments of the other. "You should talk to him. This is my advice. Good luck." He gave Lien a short nod and walked past her.

"Hey! You didn't even bother to wait for me!" Alfred complained, giving the Vietnamese girl a wink and a thumbs up before running after the Norwegian.

Lien sighed. Well, she understood where they were coming from, so she wasn't frustrated at them. Logically, talking to Arthur himself was the only thing that made sense, but it was easier said than done. They were his friends, and she was not.

She decided to go through the rest of the day silently, mulling over the decision of whether or not to push away her nervousness of talking to him firsthand. This internal dilemma continued until she got home, laying on her bed and letting her thoughts swirl with the pattern of her ceiling.

... Well, what better way to lament than to shove it in her face that she didn't have his number?

A strange move on her part, but she got her cell phone and began to scroll through the contacts begrudgingly. Alfred F. Jones- wait, wasn't this Arthur's friend? Why did she have his number?

Well, a question she would solve later. Then there was Antonio Carriedo. A friendly classmate whom she had exchanged numbers with on the first day of school.

Next, Arthur Kirkland. Ah, the school idol. The crush she lamented over.

Elizaveta Her-

"Wait."

Lien scrolled back up immediately in disbelief, sitting up and squinting at the screen.

 _Arthur Kirkland._

The name was displayed quite clearly, so there was no mistake about it. And now, it's back to the beginning where Lien starts to mutter "impossible" for the next five minutes.

His phone number's area code is different, but it's not really an abnormal factor. What is abnormal is the fact that somehow, his name and phone number was in her phone, when Lien had made absolutely zero contact in the days preceding this moment that would even open the door of opportunity to obtain this phone number.

It was... just there.

This is just a dream. Yes, it had to be. Taking a leap of determination in order to confirm that, she decides to call the Arthur Kirkland in her phone. If it's a dream, it would be a stranger, or it wouldn't even be a legit number.

One ring... two rings... and on the third ring, someone picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

Lien pinches herself immediately, heart jumping at the familiar, accented voice. Nope, definitely not a dream.

"Is... this Arthur Kirkland?" Her voice is cautious, and rightfully so- if it is a stranger, it would be horrible if she made a fool of herself.

"... Yes, it is." His response is just as cautious, but she can sense the confusion that's starting to surround him, just as it is her. "Who's asking?"

Lien's breath catches in her throat. "M-my name is Lien Nguyen, and I just wanted to-"

She can hear him spluttering on the other side. "L-Lien?! You're Lien Nguyen?!"

The Vietnamese girl tilts her head to the side. "Y... yes, I am."

"Y-You have my number? How did you get my number?"

She isn't sure if his surprise is from disgust or... happiness? Should she get her hopes up? But that isn't the problem currently; it's true that his question is a valid one. Even she doesn't really know the answer.

"It was... just in my phone, for some reason." Lien pinched herself for the stupid answer. Of course it was in her phone! How else would she have called him?!

"Oh."

Then a pregnant pause forms between the two. Lien bites her lip, knowing that her bundle of nerves seem to become even more tangled with each passing second. If she doesn't say something now, then she's sure to explode from the anxiousness.

Luckily, Arthur seems to beat her to the punch. "I know this may seem strange and out of the blue, but do you want to meet after school and go somewhere?"

Her eyes widen and Lien holds her breath in surprise. "Y-Yes!"

Well, she certainly didn't take long in deciding her answer.

There's a chuckle across the line and Lien's heart seems to beat faster. He's finding amusement in her reactions and Lien is torn between being embarrassed at herself or being happy that she's able to make him laugh in that manner.

"Where would you like to go?" Lien asks, scrambling around to find a pen. She needed to mark this date- it was something she could never hope to forget. It would forever be imprinted in her memory, but having the visual confirmation is just as satisfying.

"Anywhere you want to," he replies, and she fails to catch the amusement in his tone.

"I-I don't mind where." She found a pen and stumbled over to the calendar she usually hangs over her desk. Circling the next date, the twenty-first of September, seems too surreal to her. The fact that she had just been lamenting a few minutes prior would be unbelievable, even if she is the one experiencing these emotions. Ah, the effect he has on her is quite dangerous...

"Alright, then how about this?" He laughs and her heart soars again. "We can meet together at school and decide where to go after we've had a night of thinking."

She nods eagerly, before becoming aware of the fact that she isn't visible. "Of course. That sounds good to me."

"Then, good night. See you tomorrow," he says.

"Y-yes. Good night, Arthur," she whispers, ending the phone call with hesitation. She stares at the screen, where his name is still displayed in plain sight. "It... wasn't a dream."

The next morning, she's sprinting from her room just like the previous day, throwing her shoes on and rushing out the door in record time. The day matches her mood, bright and sunny and not a cloud in sight. This is the first time she's going to school an hour early, but because Arthur is in student council, he usually goes to school this early.

This is common knowledge, so it shouldn't be weird if she meets him this early, right?

Lien stops at the school entrance, aura positively shining as she scans the streets for his presence. Finally, the British man comes into her view, checking both parts of the street before crossing and returning to his book.

It's dangerous to do that, she mentally notes, and decides to call out to him so that she can get his attention.

"Arthur!" She waves to the other, barely containing her excitements. When he lifts his head, she's expecting a reciprocate sentiment, but instead confusion flashes across his green hues and he closes his book, speeding up his pace so that he could reach the gate quickly.

"Pardon me..." He starts speaking, and Lien can feel a veil of dread wrapping itself around her. "But who are you?"

Her heart drops immediately. "L-Lien. Lien Nguyen. We... we talked last night."

"We didn't talk last night...?" He replies, giving her a skeptical look.

"You don't... remember?" The circled date, the call history, her contacts list; Lien can recall everything without a moment's hesitation. Her throat is dry and she wonders if she had done something to bring this upon herself.

"No, we've never spoken before now," he shakes his head. "I have to go to a meeting now. Goodbye." He gives her another wary look before making his way past her.

And at this moment, her cell phone rings. Lien feels like her heart has been torn out, and she idly wonders who would call her so early in the morning. Digging into her bag, she sighs and takes one glance at the caller id.

 _Arthur Kirkland calling._

She drops her phone immediately, glaring at the screen with paranoia. But the name does not change, and just like last night, a feeling of deja vu washes over her. The name is clear, obvious and unchanging.

 _Arthur Kirkland calling._

Lien picks her phone up gingerly, snapping her head towards Arthur, who had returned to his book when he made his way past her earlier. He's completely engrossed in it and his hands are both in clear sight, holding the book up to his face.

This time, it's her heart that's in her throat as she turns her attention back to her cell phone, the display still blaring out the familiar name.

 _Arthur Kirkland calling._

It's very clear to her that something is very wrong. Arthur is reading a book and is most certainly in no position to be calling her right now. Lien accepts the call and places her phone firmly against her ear, deciding to block out everything else in order to pull a hundred percent of her attention into the call.

"We... need to talk..." The uncertainty in Arthur's voice matches the one she feels in her mind.

Lien glances once at Arthur, whose mouth remained in a thin line as he continues to sink further into the book he's reading.

"Yes," she replies back slowly. "We most certainly do."


	2. Chapter 2

implodes on myself because of all the work i have

hah... hah... i have three ongoing stories and yet i want to add another one WHOOPS well i don't really plan on dropping any so i guess that's a plus-? moving on!

* * *

Chapter Two

Who would've thought that something good could come out of this?

* * *

"Where are you?"

The voice, laced with confusion, sinks into Lien's mind slowly. She feels indignation rising up in her, and disbelief paints the tone of her voice as she responds slowly. "I'm at school, and you just ignored me." She pauses- it had been just a bit more than that. "No, I'll correct myself: you didn't remember me at all. And I'm sure that you weren't on the phone before you walked into school."

Scattered pieces of the puzzle take their time to gather in Lien's mind. Arthur is currently talking to her over the phone, clearly knowing of her existence, but the Arthur Lien had talked to did not know her. Arthur is supposed to be on the phone with her, but he was engrossed in his book when she saw him just a few seconds earlier. These two observations contradicted each other completely, so the only thing that makes sense...

... is that this is all a prank.

"This is a joke, isn't it?" Her voice is dry as a frown creases upon her face. At her expense, an elaborate prank was set up. How troubling.

"What?"

"Who are you?" Lien demands, grip tightening on her phone. "Stop this act now, I've figured you out. I know you're not Arthur. I don't know how you managed to sneak your number into my phone, but-"

"I _am_ Arthur," the voice replies, and she can hear the frown in his voice. "I can assure you this isn't a prank. I'm right outside the school gates, and I don't see you anywhere."

"No one is at the school gates except for me," she says dryly, glancing around once to affirm her own statement.

"I'm right next to Gakuen High's plaque." The frustration is evident in his voice. "This isn't a prank. Unless you're the one pranking me."

"Impossible," she mutters. Looking to her left, the plaque is also displayed there clearly. They should be standing at the same place right now, so if the one she is talking to is Arthur as he claimed. Gulping nervously, Lien clutches the hem of her skirt. It has to be a prank, or else none of this situation would even be plausible. But what kind of prank would go this far, to insist that for once, Lien's keen instincts were deceiving her?

She knew where she was standing...

"I'm directly next to the plaque," the voice repeats again.

... or did she?

"... What?" She mumbles, a hand going up to rub the side of her head.

"Believe me, I wouldn't want to prank you, of all people," the voice insists. "Ah- wait! I see you. But you're not on the phone...?"

"I am on the phone."

"But... I don't see you on the phone. Are you on Bluetooth? I'm waving to you right now! Why aren't you looking over-?"

"That's not me."

Finally, the pieces start to click together. This person's phone number had somehow made it into her contacts list. This person sounds a lot like, if not _exactly_ , Arthur Kirkland. The Arthur that she had just encountered did not recognize her... and the Lien this voice tried to get the attention of most likely did not know him. The realization slowly settles into her, but she's not too keen of accepting this as a fact.

"What do you mean, that's not you?" Arthur, the one on the other side of the line, interrupts her musings unknowingly, bringing her back to reality.

"Because I'm still standing next to the plaque of Gakuen High."

"Huh? You just went into the school."

"No, I didn't. I'm still outside," she replies calmly, his words now making her more certain of her theory. That is, if she can believe what he's saying is true. For now, she'll have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I just saw you walk inside, so that's impossible!" He replies, frustration laced around his voice. "You can't possibly be outside-"

"Arthur," Lien says firmly, causing the man to halt in his speaking. "We're in different worlds."

The long silence that follows has Lien pulling her phone away to make sure they were still connected, before pressing the screen back to her ear hesitantly. She, too, isn't fond of the assumption, but if they're both telling the truth, this is the only logical conclusion.

"... Like, alternate universes?" Arthur responds slowly, voice wary as if agreeing with her would shatter the fabric of reality.

"Correct."

"..." Another moment of silence, before he responds again, saying the words she would have said if she was the one being told this type of skeptical information. "That's illogical."

"Yes, I agree." Leaning against the wall, Lien exhales. "But there's no other way to explain this, unless you want to admit that this is a prank."

"I'm not fond of pranks," he replies tiredly. "But I haven't done any magi-" Then he cuts himself off abruptly. Lien arches an eyebrow curiously, but chooses not to pursue the topic, seeing as there's more pressing matters at hand.

"I know it doesn't make sense... but this is the only conclusion I can come up with." The Vietnamese teenager rubs her forehead in irritation, disliking this elaborate conclusion, as it defied all aspects of reality. But she feels personally inclined to trust in the validity of Arthur's words, even if this is most likely a... different Arthur. Their voices were very similar, but also... different? It's hard to place into words exactly.

"Tell me about your world."

Again, breaking through her musings- and the timing's perfect. Any more thinking and Lien feels as if her head will explode.

"What do you mean exactly?" As in, what is she supposed to tell him that would help? Even the intelligent youth can't fathom the situation right now.

"If this is the only explanation, then there should be... some things that are different." It seems as if he's going to give her theory the benefit of the doubt, so his voice sounds more firm and analytic, in contrast to the baffled wariness it held before.

"Well... I'll state the obvious then. You have my number and I have your number," Lien says, giving herself a little mental slap for starting out the observations that way.

"The you I know doesn't know me, and the me you know doesn't know you," he affirms. The words seem to be quite the tongue twister, but she can comprehend it despite the whirlwind her mind is in right now. She and Arthur did pass each other in the same hallways, but she's sure he doesn't know her... so asking her to hang out after school should definitely be the last thing he would do. At least, the Arthur _she_ knew.

"So... our positions are reversed," Arthur concludes over the phone, startling her from her thoughts. She had missed out on the other parts of his conclusion, but if he had decided the same thing as her-

"So you like Lien," she says. "... Well, the Lien of your world."

She hears him choking on the other side. "W-Well, it's embarrassing when saying it so straightforwardly..."

Lien isn't really aware of what social tact is, seeing as she's usually hardheaded and stubborn, saying whatever is on her mind. However, she realizes the weight of her own words and scratches her cheek sheepishly.

"I... It's true though, right?" It would've been embarrassing if she had made such a presumptuous assumption on her own.

"... mhnyeshnb..." The answer is lost in his mumbles, but she manages to understand what he's trying to express.

"I guess that means we're the same," Lien realizes. "Both of us... like each other's selves of the other world."

Confessing to Arthur seems too surreal... but since it isn't the Arthur in this world, it's fine, right? It's like speaking to Natalia or Elizaveta, in a way... though she supposes now that she's said it aloud, it's flustering for her as well.

"Er, how does that help?" She can imagine him rubbing the back of his neck, a habit she had noticed whenever he was taken aback by something. "We can't see each other-"

"Who knows ourselves better than anyone?" She cuts in, though she falters after that. "Ah, sorry for interrupting again. But this is an interesting development, you know? We can give each other advice on how to win over ourselves." Does it sound too arrogant of her to say this? No, she isn't assuming that the Arthur of this world will take to liking her, even with whatever advice she might receive. However, if she doesn't try... she knows she will regret it. Thus, she's being bold and making the first move.

Albeit, it's a different first move than what her friends had expected of her, but there's many tactics other than just directly confessing to her crush.

"You can tell me about yourself, and I can tell you about myself. To win over the ones we like."

There's a sharp intake of breath as he also realizes the validity of her words. "You have a point."

"I'm glad I make sense," she sighs in relief. "Elizaveta says I speak nonsense when I get too excited."

Arthur chuckles. "You seem close to her."

"Of course," Lien responses. "We're childhood friends with Natalia. We've been practically inseparable."

"That explains it," he says, almost thoughtfully.

The mention of her friends has her curious about Arthur's own friends. "What about Lukas and Alfred?"

"Ugh," his voice gives her the image of his face scowling. "Alfred's my cousin, unfortunately. Though, Alfred aside, Lukas is _my_ childhood friend. We have similar hobbies and interests."

"Really? What kind?"

"..." He coughs. "I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

She arches an eyebrow, about to retort that they have just discovered that there's an alternate reality to their worlds, but she spots Elizaveta and Natalia in her peripheral vision. Elizaveta is wildly gesturing to the school and Natalia is giving her a skeptical look, as if Lien has just grown two heads.

"Oh...! School's about to start. I need to go."

"You're right." Arthur sounds just as surprised, and Lien wonders if he can hear her emotions in her voice like she can with his. "I have to go as well. I'll talk to you later, Lien."

She nods her agreement, slamming her phone shut before her Hungarian friend runs up next to her.

"Who were you calling?" There's a slyness to her voice as she grabs Lien's arm, tugging her towards the school in mild urgency. "Did somebody get a certain someone's phone number?"

Well... she isn't wrong. But with the circumstances right now, she isn't sure what would Elizaveta think about the Vietnamese teenager if she had told her about the alternate universe. Would she believe her?

"We were surprised when you weren't at your house this morning." When Elizaveta manages to drag Lien up to the front doors, Natalia decides to speak up. "Yao told us you got up early."

"I always-"

"Earlier than usual. You usually get up at seven."

Lien freezes, though she casts her gaze aside, avoiding the hard stare Natalia's cobalt hues direct at her. "I... enjoy the morning air. It's refreshing and I needed a walk."

"... Right." The skeptical tone of voice Natalia replies with has Lien on alert.

"Oh, that's the warning bell." By some aghast miracle, Elizaveta obviously interrupts the tense atmosphere. "We really should get going." Then she drags Lien again, although it's certainly unnecessary, going off about how her morning went. Natalia's side glance tells Lien the Belorussian has much more to say, though for now, it would be delayed.

Lien sighs to herself in relief, though Natalia's suspicion doesn't linger on her mind for long. Because the only one in it right now is Arthur.

 **xxxXXXXXxxxxxXXXX**

 _From: Arthur Kirkland  
To: Lien Nguyen  
Have you received this text?_

"Lien~ what're you staring at?" Elizaveta asks, hand leaning on her cheek as her green hues give the other a curious glance. "I've never seen you so... attached to your phone. What's up with that?"

Again, the skeptical look that Natalia gives her fails to go unnoticed by Lien. However, she's nervously doing her best to not acknowledge it.

"Mhn, new game," she mutters. Yeah, right. A small smile tilts upon her lips as she types out a reply.

 _From: Lien Nguyen_  
 _To: Arthur Kirkland  
Yes, I have. Is something wrong?_

"Earth to Lien!" A hand waves in front of the Asian woman, who remains unphased by the other's persistence. Her golden hues are fixated on the phone, mind swirling at the plethora of possibilities this connection created. Her phone could send pictures, so maybe Arthur's phone could too. Should she make use of that function...?

"You're staring," Natalia states bluntly. "And you look like an idiot." She jabs a finger at the other, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Lien opens her mouth to counter the insult thrown at her, but her phones vibrates and she's quick to redirect her attention, hurriedly opening the text.

 _From: Arthur Kirkland  
To: Lien Nguyen  
Ah, nothing's wrong. I'm eating lunch at the moment. Are you free to talk?_

Without a second to spare, Lien springs up from her seat, gaze transfixed on the screen on her phone. "I need to make a call."

"... You need to what now?" Elizaveta blinks.

"During lunch? Really?" Natalia snorts.

"Yes, it's important." Her response is quite plain and curt as she makes her leave, but before acknowledging her friends with a small tilt of her head. _Go to class without me_ , is the intent of her faint gesture, and her two friends are left exchanging glances.

"... I think she's hiding something."

"Ah~ Lien, our dear Lien, transparent as always."

 **xxxx**

"How has school been?" Starting the conversation off simply, Lien retains a tone of politeness, leaning against the bathroom wall and occasionally stealing glances to make sure no one else enters while she's on the phone.

"Well, there have been easier days," Arthur laughs. "So I guess we can exchange tips now?"

"Yes-" Lien replies, a little too eagerly, much to her own embarrassment. "Er... would you like to start?"

"... what do I start with?" He asks, tone sheepish, and she can hear him cough just faintly.

It's amusing... and rather endearing to her. Lien manages another smile. "I'll go first then. My name is Lien Nguyen, and I'm a third year student at Gakuen High-"

"I knew that much, dear." There's a chuckle on the other end and Lien's cheeks flush, both at her foolishness and the other's laugh.

"... S-Sorry, I'm not good at talking about myself," she mutters. "I, uh, enjoy gardening. I have my own garden at home."

"Oh?"

"Y... yes." Fiddling with the hem of her skirt, Lien's shoulders relax from their tense position. Actually, despite her own nervousness, she feels more relaxed talking to this Arthur over the phone. She's not entirely certain as to why- maybe it's because he's different? In a way, he's still Arthur, but it's not difficult to talk to him, much unlike the Arthur that she knows in this world. Perhaps it's because this is a conversation over the phone... or because of their similar situations?

"I grow lotus flowers usually, but there's also daisies and roses. Whatever the season favors," she finishes up talking about her garden, anxiously awaiting his thoughts.

"I see. Lotus flowers do seem to suit you." His response is short and there's a silence that follows soon after. Lien waits for him to speak, but after a few more seconds, she hesitantly breaks the silence again.

"Arthur...?"

"Gah!" A definite noise of surprise. "S-sorry, love, I was just writing something down."

Her heart skips a beat. "... Are you taking notes about what I like?"

"..."

"That's... unexpected. I didn't think you would be this meticulous."

He clears his throat firmly. "Well... I'm serious about this, you can say."

She tilts her head to the side, imagining the air of mystery that veils most of Arthur's expressions. "Yes... I am serious as well. So why don't you tell me something about yourself this time?"

"R-right..." He pauses. "This might sound weird... but I love rain. I came from London and it practically rained every day. One would think it would feel liberating, but I was actually quite fond of it. When it rains here, albeit rarely, I go and talk a walk outside."

"I hope you take an umbrella," she says, frowning in worry.

"... Sometimes. I don't get sick easily, so don't fret too much-"

"Arthur..."

"I also like cooking!" When her tone edges on reprimanding him, Arthur quickly adds another fact in hopes of distracting her. It works.

"Oh! What if I came up to you and asked about that? Home economic projects involve cooking with partners a lot."

"Well... I don't think I'd be too keen on accepting. If a stranger came up to me and asked me to cook with them, I'd most likely decline."

"We're not strangers though?"

"In your world, we are." The reminder is gentle, but the reality that accompanies it is harsh. "You said you talked to me today and I didn't recognize you, right?"

"Er, yes."

"That could be bad."

"Eh? How?"

"Well, think about it, love. You're walking to school, and suddenly a stranger pops out of nowhere and starts talking to you, no less about talking _with_ you over the phone last night..."

Like a train, the realization slams into Lien. "... Oh."

"Even if that stranger is cute..." He whispers inaudibly. Luckily, the dread that's starting to overwhelm her cloud her other senses.

"I-I even tried to ask Lukas for your phone number yesterday as well! You're going to think I'm some-" For lack of better terms, she channels what Elizaveta would say. "-some weirdo!" Well... good enough.

There's a moment of contemplation, before Arthur sighs. "I can't believe I'm suggesting this..." His voice is cross, but then he raises it so that he can ensure Lien could hear him. "Don't worry too much. If you talk to Alfred, he'll help you."

"... Why him?" Her mind stops swirling and disbelief settles upon her face, slumping against the wall in defeat.

"The git annoys me by talking too much for his own good. With that being said, I'm forced to listen to his rambles about how his days has gone and whatever people he's met these days. Talk with him a lot and he'll see that you're a good woman... which he'll then tell me about."

"..." Another sigh of defeat. "If that's what you say, then I'll talk with him."

"He's an idiot, but he'll help, so don't fret too much. I don't want you to worry about this."

"Right... thank you," Lien says genuinely. "I'll call you later. Lunch is just about over."

 **xxx**

The opportunity to talk with Alfred hadn't come during the school day, so after the school hours ended, Lien's walking home with Elizaveta and Natalia, a routine that's practically ingrained into their bodies. As always, Lien is silent, so Elizaveta's chatter about the school day fills the air. Natalia's quiet glances towards Lien go unnoticed for now. This kind of silence is not usually customary of Lien... yes, the Vietnamese woman is usually a quiet person, but this time, the aura surrounding her seems a bit more... worrisome.

Though in her mind, Lien's dreading on the approach she should take to talk to Alfred. After their last encounter, the idea is even more appalling. Perhaps she has messed her chances up for good.

"Lien." Natalia's voice cuts through Elizaveta's ramblings and the Belorussian walks right in front of Lien. "I think it's time to spill. What's been bothering you? You've been weird all day."

The Vietnamese teenagers sighs heavily. "I'm just wondering, do the two of you know a lot about Alfred?"

They all stop walking, Lien because her two friends first stop their movements at Lien's declaration.

"... Is... he the reason you woke up early?" Natalia asks slowly, her perpetual frown shifting into that of disbelief.

"Please don't tell me you're in love with-"

"Wrong." Lien's response is a growl, before slowly relaxing her own defensive reaction. "I just... need to talk to him. I made a mistake by talking to Arthur this morning, so I'm certain he thinks I'm... _weird_." Again, for lack of better term, she's deciding to quote Elizaveta now.

"You're exaggerating."

"Am I?"

"Why talk to that blond idiot if the misunderstanding is with Arthur?" Natalia interrupts, hands placed on her hips. "Talk it out with him instead."

"Not happening," Lien disagrees immediately, shaking her head firmly.

"You're going to have to talk to him eventually. It's not hard."

"I-I know that," Lien grumbles. "I just said something strange to him this morning, so it's-"

"You're _perfectly_ capable of explaining that to him."

"It's complicated," Lien repeats, standing firm on her stance. "Anyway, I asked was if you guys knew anything about Alfred. That's all."

"Fine," the response is hissed out and Lien flinches. "The idiot is in the newspaper club."

"... I'm sorry, Natalia." Lien reaches a hand out to touch the other on the shoulder, to which the beige-haired youth rejects by moving her shoulder away.

"What have you been hiding?" Her accusation is fierce, causing Elizaveta's curious expression to fade into anxious worry. They all knew very well that when Natalia is crossed... certain grudges could be held.

Lien looks down, avoiding the other's gaze. "... I'm not sure if I can tell you."

"What?!" Natalia glares at the other and takes a step towards Lien. Elizaveta rushes forward and places her hands firmly on the Belorussian's arms, giving Lien a shocked look of her own.

"Lien... we've been best friends since we were kids. What can't you trust us with?"

"It's not like that-!" Lien protests. "I just don't know if it's safe." Would the fabric of the dimensions be destroyed if more people involved themselves in this multidimensional matter? The paranoia haunts her- she curses Yao's superstitious rants every day- and she doesn't want her friends to be hurt if letting them know will overturn some kind of world order.

Not that it makes a lot of sense now, but something weird is already going on with Lien obtaining a cell phone number of another Arthur... so she knows she has to think this over if she's going to involve the ones she cares about.

"I-I'll let you know tomorrow. Promise." Lien dodges Natalia's lunge, thanks to Elizaveta's intervention, making her way down to her house. She turns around and keeps her solemn gaze on her two friends, when her Hungarian friend points a frying pan at the Vietnamese woman.

"We're not done with you yet. But we'll trust that you'll explain everything tomorrow." Elizaveta tugs on Natalia a bit harshly, to which the Belorussian lets out a hiss at. However, because of the bond they've shared since childhood, the normally aggressive European finally relents, her glare not fading in its intensity when directed at Lien.

"Alfred, your phone, your behavior... _everything_." Natalia's assertion is firm and Elizaveta snorts at the empty threat.

"We're just worried about you. You know how it is."

"I am not-!"

"Natalia, you can't hide it~~"

Lien merely offers a weak smile, nodding as she makes her way to her door. "... Thank you. Both of you. See you tomorrow then." Saying their goodbyes, grudgingly on Natalia's part, Lien enters her house and forces herself to walk upstairs. Explaining everything to Elizaveta and Natalia... there's no escape from that. She cares about her friends deeply, and letting them think that Lien is distrustful of them shouldn't last too long. She knows that she wouldn't be able to handle it if she thought Natalia or Elizaveta didn't trust her.

"I'm being selfish," Lien mutters, flopping onto her bed and rolling over with a tired sigh. She reaches for her phone, blankly staring at her screen. Then, she pulls up her contact list and, almost as if an automatic response, scrolls through the list to find just one single name.

"Arthur... Kirkland..."

Her voice is but a whisper as she dials his number, knowing that he can give her more advice on this matter.


End file.
